Centbiftjgal machine



Aug. 2,1927.

w. c. COLEMAN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 6, 1923 /N VE N TOR 7 {gig/$77 f'o/mm A TTORNE y Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

- rual'rrsasm l s ILLIAM CQCOLEMANZQF wrozrrrm-xnnsns.

v CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

A Application manna 6,-1923.; Serial at. 656,101.

. This invention relates to centrifugal separators and amalgamators and j the. primary object istoprovide a simple, eflic1ent;dev1ce ally in the form of sludge, to-amalgamator action, and then to a concentrator-(action.

In illustrating my invention have; shown the amalagamator as the upper elementavith an upper intake, the amalgamator containing mercury to receive the metal from-the ore. The lower portion of the amalgamator is shown as discharging into a concentrator which separates the heavier particles of ore which have not been absorbed by the mercury in the amalgamator.

Mercury will amalgamate free gold only, but gold and sulphid ore is not taken up by mercury. Therefore, after the ore has passed through the amalgamator to allow the separation of the free gold it is subjected to the centrifugal action of the concentrator which separates out the heavier particles, which are then discharged from the periphery of the concentrator, the sludge passing out through the center of the concentrator.

The amalgamator chamber and the concentrator chamber can be secured together so that they will. rotate at the same speed W and whereby a compact machine can be provided, permitting the ore to pass through in a steady stream from the amalgamator chamber to the concentrator chamber and discharge therefrom. In each chamber the metals will be separated, for example, free gold in the amalgamator and sulphid gold or heavy particles of gold in the concentrator.

The peculiarly novel construction of the illustrated embodiment of my invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through amalgamator and concentrator chambers constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the concentrator casing, parts being broken away to show the interior thereof.

The separator is shown as consisting of two casings 1 and 2;the first, the amalgamator casing and the second the concentrator casing. They have outstanding flanges 3 and 4 by means of which they may be fastened together through the medium of fastening devices illustrated as bolts 5. Obvimay, additional casing members be added. Ordinarily, two will be sufiicient but if desired, the units may be multiplied, which subjects the metal-ladened ore, gener- 1 The'member. 1 is provided zwitha capnol ,coverlmember 6 having an inlet 7 and fastened tothe member 1 by the bolts 5,;Which nembersl and2 has a conical bottornmemher 9 with a central outlet opening-l0 surroundedbya collarll carrying bolt sockets extending above the collarirll. Resting nponthe-bolt sockets ,orsupports 12in each case is a distributor disk 13, having a depending flange 14, intermediate the ends of which is a distributor flange or collar 15.

The members 1 and 2 have oflset portions or shoulders 16 to receive a packing ring 17 and resting upon the packing ring is a gasket 18 to pack the joints between the members 1 and 2 or the member 1 and the cover 6.

The distributor is spaced from the wall of its casing and also from the collar; that is, it is interposed between the collar and the wall of the casing so that a tortuous passageway is provided for the sludge. The sludge first enters through the inlet 7 of the amalgamator and is deposited on the distributor where, due to centrifugal force, it is thrown off against a body of mercury 19 in the mercury space 20; that is, the mercury ring 19 will lie against the inner face of the casing or rotor Wall so that as the sludge or pulp follows the path indicated by the arrows, it will first be subjected to the action of the mercury and then to the action of the concentrator and finally be discharged through the opening 10.

If two casings are used, as shown in Fig. 1, the discharged material which passes through the opening in the upper casing will be deposited on a next succeeding distributor and follow the same path that it had traversed in the first casing, the action being that the sludge or pulp will pass over the body of mercury to permit the mercury to take up the metal; after the sludge has passed out of the machine, the metal can be recovered from the mercury. The metal which is separated from the sludge in the concentrator 2 will flow out through pipe 21 in a continuous stream.

The distributor is shown as rigid with the casing; therefore, it rotates at the same speed but as the material is thrown off by Centrifugal force against the body of mercury, the mercury band Will have a tendency to rotate relative to the sludge so that the sludge will have a rolling contact on the body of mercury and as the sludge Works over the body of mercury, the metal will' sulphid metalsor' larger particles of metal the cencentrator.

can be separated by centrifugal action in Therefore, a greater recovery will result than if either one of the chambers were used alone. What I'claim and desire to secure by Let -ters-Patent is:

standing supporting members carried by'the L'A centrifugal separator comprising a v casing having an inlet and an outlet, up-

casing, a disk fast onv the casin' a flange depending from the disk, and a" lstributing collar between the ends of the flange;

2, A centrifugal separator comprising a casing having an inlet'andan outlet, the

bottom having. the outlet, a 'c0l1arsurround ing the outlet, upstanding socket members about the 'collar, a disk on the socket members, bolts passing through the disk and en-,

gaging the, socket members, and distributin means onthe ends of the disk. u

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, the casing. having a mercury chamber, a vdistributor withinthe casing for distributing material into the mercury chamber, and

means for securing a complementary casing of like construction to the first named casmg. g c

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' WILLIAM o. COLEMAN; 

